'Diff'rent Strokes' Star Gary Coleman Dead at 42

May 28, 2010— -- Gary Coleman, the former child actor and star of the 1980s TV sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes," has died after an intracranial hemorrhage suffered earlier this week left him unconscious and on life support at a Utah hospital. He was 42.

"Child actor Gary Coleman died at approximately 12:05 p.m. Mountain Standard Time at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center," hospital spokeswoman Janet Frank said in an e-mailed statement. "Family members and close friends were at his side when life support was terminated."

After reaching TV superstardom playing Arnold Jackson on "Diff'rent Strokes" in the late 1970s and early '80s, Coleman's life after the show included years of financial, legal and health troubles, including a congenital kidney condition, leading up to his death.

"It's unfortunate. It's a sad day," Todd Bridges, who played Arnold Jackson's older brother Willis on "Diff'rent Strokes," told the Associated Press. "It's sad that I'm the last kid alive from the show."

Bridges also has had numerous personal and legal problems since "Diff'rent Strokes" went off the air in 1986. And Dana Plato, who played Bridges and Coleman's white older sister on the show, committed suicide in 1999.

Coleman suffered the intracranial hemorrhage at his home in Utah Wednesday, possibly from a fall, though the exact circumstances have not been confirmed.

"He was immediately taken to a local hospital for treatment," Coleman's publicist, John Alcantar, said in an e-mail to ABC News.

Later Wednesday evening, according to Alcantar, Coleman was moved to another hospital for more tests and treatment. By midday Thursday, Coleman had regained consciousness and was lucid.

But his condition soon grew more dire.

"As of mid morning on May 27, Mr. Coleman was conscious and lucid, but by early afternoon that same day, Mr. Coleman was slipping in and out of consciousness and his condition worsened," the hospital statement said.

At a news conference in Salt Lake City after Coleman's death, Coleman's brother-in-law Shawn Price read a statement written by his sister, Coleman's wife, Shannon Price.

"We are very grateful for all the wonderful support everyone has been extending to Gary's family," the statement said. "Thousands of e-mails have poured in to the hospital. This has been so comforting to the family to know how beloved he still is."

Coleman's hemorrhage may have resulted from trauma to his head. Thursday, Coleman's brother-in-law told TMZ.com that the actor fell and suffered a head injury.

Gary Coleman's Rise to Fame on 'Diff'rent Strokes'

Coleman got his start in acting with appearances on "The Jeffersons" and "Good Times." In 1978, at the age of 10, he became a TV icon playing one of two adopted sons of a rich widower on NBC's "Diff'rent Strokes."

His spunky attitude and signature catch phrase -- "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" -- endeared him to audiences and helped him gain more roles. He starred in the 1981 movie "On the Right Track" and 1982's "Jimmy The Kid."

But after "Diff'rent Strokes" went off the air in 1986, Coleman's career stalled. He made appearances in a number of 1990s TV shows, like "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and "The Drew Carrey Show," but substantial parts eluded him.

Financial problems also plagued Coleman following his "Diff'rent Strokes" run. In 1989, he sued his parents and former manager over misappropriation of his $3.8 million trust fund. In 1993, he won a ruling of almost $1.3 million. But in 1999, Coleman filed for bankruptcy, attributing his financial problems to mismanagement of his trust.

Coleman's health may have also sidelined his career. He suffered from the congenital kidney condition that halted his growth at an early age and despite two kidney transplants, required him to undergo daily dialysis.

Because of his unstable condition, Coleman did not undergo any surgery while hospitalized just before his death, according to Alcantar.

"In recent years Gary Coleman has had difficulties, not only with health issues, but also with his personal and public life," Alcantar said. "At times, it may not have been apparent, but he always has had fond memories of being an entertainer and appreciates his fans for all their support over the years."

As he grew older, Coleman had multiple run-ins with the law. In 1998, while working as a mall security guard, he punched Tracy Fields, a bus driver who asked for his autograph, and was charged with assault. Coleman was ordered to pay Fields' resulting hospital bills, and though his monetary loss was less than $2,000, the cost of the assault was dire to his reputation -- much of Hollywood ceased to take him seriously, chalking him up as a child actor gone bad.

In September 2008, Coleman got into a similar altercation and car accident after a 24-year-old tried to take his photo at a Utah bowling alley. Coleman pleaded no contest to charges of disorderly conduct and reckless driving stemming from that case.

Gary Coleman's Marriage and Difficulties

Coleman wed Shannon Price, 24, in 2007 after meeting her on the set of the 2006 comedy "Church Ball."

One of Coleman's final public appearances was in May 2008, when he and Price went on "Divorce Court" not to end their marriage, but to save it.

Price complained that she and Coleman had ugly fights and that the actor threw temper tantrums "like a 5-year-old does." Coleman admitted to Judge Lynn Toler that he had a bad attitude, but that was because he hadn't had an easy life.

"I don't have any friends and don't have any intention of making any," he said, according to a transcript of the show. "People will stab you in the back, mistreat you, talk about me behind your back, steal from you. And they're not really your friends. They're only there because you're a celebrity or because they want to get something from you."

The year 2010 was particularly hard for Coleman.

In January, he was arrested for failing to appear in court after a domestic disturbance. His health has also faltered -- Coleman suffered seizures in January and again later February on the set of "The Insider."

ABC News' Michael S. James and Brian Braiker contributed to this report.